going to pigeon/gatb area from I40 pulling a 27 tt with a trail blazer. can i take rout 411 or 321 or should i go up to I40 towards knoxville and come down rout 66 to PF ??? don`t know what kind of roads those to are for towing. thanks for any info>

I would take I 40 to Knoxville and exit on to James White Pike around to Chapman Hwy. You will miss a lot of traffic and when you get into Sevierville cross over 411 and take Veterans Blvd on the right (At KFC) this will bring you out on the south end of Pigeon Forge with out any traffic to fight. I do this all the time with a 30 foot bumper pull.

thoms wrote:going to pigeon/gatb area from I40 pulling a 27 tt with a trail blazer. can i take rout 411 or 321 or should i go up to I40 towards knoxville and come down rout 66 to PF ??? don`t know what kind of roads those to are for towing. thanks for any info>My experience is it shouldn't matter too much. Depending on the time of year, there can be a lot of traffic from I81 to PF but it is easy. Slows most as you get closer to PF.Coming from the south you will be going slower but so will everyone else. If your TV is in good shape it should do fine. It is a very beautiful route.Start here:https://maps.google.com/ and enter the start location and destination - it will map a route. You can drag the "blue" road line to a different route to check mileage and time.

Question, what is the weight of your 27' TT? I have an '08 trailblazer and I think its only rated for around 5300#. Not asking to bash you, I just curious how it tows! My TT weights 6800# dry and I haven't attempted to pull with my the trailblazer.

If you are coming up from the south on I-75, take exit 60 at Sweetwater and go Hwy 68 over to 411 towards Maryville, then 321 to Pigeon Forge through Townsend. After going thru Townsend you will enter Wears Valley, that will be about 2-3 miles of two-lane with curves, just stay on your side of the road and keep away from the Knoxville traffic and the congestion on Hwy 66 from I-40.Travel safe.

By all means, go any way OTHER than Exit 417 (Rt 66)!!! Unless you are arriving before 8 am in the morning during the week, take another route. The traffic can be horrendous.If you are coming west on I-40, get off at 411 or 321, whichever. If you are going into Gatlinburg, take 321, which will take you to the main intersection in Gatlinburg. NOTE: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO drive a MH, nor pull an RV through this intersection. Most of the campgrounds are before you get to this intersection. This is the downtown area and the roads are very, very narrow.If you are going to Pigeon Forge, take Rt 441, 411, 25, 70 and follow 441 into Sevierville to mile marker 17.3. Take a left at that intersection, which is Veterans Memorial Hwy, which turns into Dollywood Parkway. It goes by Dollywood and comes out at traffic light #8 in Pigeon Forge. You bypass such much of the traffic going this way.PM me if you have any specific questions.

pigeon forge road | Good Sam Community

11 Replies

popeyemth
Explorer
Nov 06, 2013
What I wondered was why run it till 10PM Sunday but by 10AM Monday they hadn't started back up.
Had a blast as usual making the loop from Georgia to SC to NC to Franklin TN area back across Smokies to Nashville to Ky hitting the gem and gold mines along the route.
Likes_to_tow
Nomad
Nov 06, 2013
Saw your rig sitting there. We had two of those in the early years. I love truck campers!! Easy traveling for sure.

I guess the jack hammer was those guys working on the new bridge near the Smoky Mt Knife Works.
popeyemth
Explorer
Nov 06, 2013
Likes to tow wrote:
We left Monday also. Our site was #3 on the upper end. I saw many people pulling out that morning. One was probably you.

#51 closest to the shower house :)
We camped in our Silverado with Shadow Cruiser pop top slide in
What was up with the jack hammer?
Likes_to_tow
Nomad
Nov 06, 2013
We left Monday also. Our site was #3 on the upper end. I saw many people pulling out that morning. One was probably you.
popeyemth
Explorer
Nov 06, 2013
Likes to tow wrote:
We just returned from the area. We always exit Interstate 40 and go south on Rt 66. There is some new construction on 66 but most of it is done. It's the easy way to the campground we have stayed at for many years. Ripplin Waters is the best choice for those wanting to stay north of all the congestion. It is exactly one mile south of the Smoky Mt Knife Works store.

411 over to Sevierville is passable but somewhat narrow and crooked. 321 puts you right in the middle of all the congestion in Gattlinburg!! Depending on when you arrive, traffic can ruin the experience of visiting the area. You must learn about Veterans Blvd which comes off 411 just a mile east of the courthouse in Sevierville and runs all the way south to Dollywood and the lower end of Pigeon Forge. It's a life saving bypass taking you completely around all the traffic of the Pigeon Forge strip. Learn to use it. By staying at Ripplin Waters which is only 5 miles south of I-40 on rt 66 you are in striking distance of the Veterans Blvd .

X2 we left Ripplin Waters Monday
Coming in on Friday evening and leaving on Sunday evening will net you the most traffic headaches.
Likes_to_tow
Nomad
Nov 06, 2013
We just returned from the area. We always exit Interstate 40 and go south on Rt 66. There is some new construction on 66 but most of it is done. It's the easy way to the campground we have stayed at for many years. Ripplin Waters is the best choice for those wanting to stay north of all the congestion. It is exactly one mile south of the Smoky Mt Knife Works store.

411 over to Sevierville is passable but somewhat narrow and crooked. 321 puts you right in the middle of all the congestion in Gattlinburg!! Depending on when you arrive, traffic can ruin the experience of visiting the area. You must learn about Veterans Blvd which comes off 411 just a mile east of the courthouse in Sevierville and runs all the way south to Dollywood and the lower end of Pigeon Forge. It's a life saving bypass taking you completely around all the traffic of the Pigeon Forge strip. Learn to use it. By staying at Ripplin Waters which is only 5 miles south of I-40 on rt 66 you are in striking distance of the Veterans Blvd .

Coming in on Friday evening and leaving on Sunday evening will net you the most traffic headaches.
Merrykalia
Explorer II
Nov 06, 2013
By all means, go any way OTHER than Exit 417 (Rt 66)!!! Unless you are arriving before 8 am in the morning during the week, take another route. The traffic can be horrendous.

If you are coming west on I-40, get off at 411 or 321, whichever. If you are going into Gatlinburg, take 321, which will take you to the main intersection in Gatlinburg. NOTE: DO NOT ATTEMPT TO drive a MH, nor pull an RV through this intersection. Most of the campgrounds are before you get to this intersection. This is the downtown area and the roads are very, very narrow.

If you are going to Pigeon Forge, take Rt 441, 411, 25, 70 and follow 441 into Sevierville to mile marker 17.3. Take a left at that intersection, which is Veterans Memorial Hwy, which turns into Dollywood Parkway. It goes by Dollywood and comes out at traffic light #8 in Pigeon Forge. You bypass such much of the traffic going this way.

PM me if you have any specific questions.
Phil___Stephie
Explorer
Nov 06, 2013
If you are coming up from the south on I-75, take exit 60 at Sweetwater and go Hwy 68 over to 411 towards Maryville, then 321 to Pigeon Forge through Townsend. After going thru Townsend you will enter Wears Valley, that will be about 2-3 miles of two-lane with curves, just stay on your side of the road and keep away from the Knoxville traffic and the congestion on Hwy 66 from I-40.

Travel safe.
upstech76
Explorer
Nov 05, 2013
Question, what is the weight of your 27' TT? I have an '08 trailblazer and I think its only rated for around 5300#. Not asking to bash you, I just curious how it tows! My TT weights 6800# dry and I haven't attempted to pull with my the trailblazer.
wittmeba
Explorer
Nov 05, 2013
thoms wrote:
going to pigeon/gatb area from I40 pulling a 27 tt with a trail blazer. can i take rout 411 or 321 or should i go up to I40 towards knoxville and come down rout 66 to PF ???
don`t know what kind of roads those to are for towing.
thanks for any info>

My experience is it shouldn't matter too much. Depending on the time of year, there can be a lot of traffic from I81 to PF but it is easy. Slows most as you get closer to PF.

Coming from the south you will be going slower but so will everyone else. If your TV is in good shape it should do fine. It is a very beautiful route.

Start here:

https://maps.google.com/ and enter the start location and destination - it will map a route. You can drag the "blue" road line to a different route to check mileage and time.